Ethiopia

Country Projects

Ethiopia is one of the world’s most drought-prone countries. Climate change aggravates this vulnerability, increasing food insecurity and disrupting agriculture, and human and livestock health. In 2011, the Ethiopian government launched the Climate Resilient Green Economy initiative to protect the country from the adverse effects of climate change and build a greener economy. Since 2016, UN CC:Learn has been working with the Ethiopian government and other stakeholders to promote climate change education as a key tool to meet these objectives.

Integrating Climate Change into Ethiopia’s National Education System

The Climate Resilient Green Economy initiative (CRGE) includes a large-scale capacity building component, which our work aims to support.

Together with the Ethiopian government and other stakeholders, we supported the integration of climate change into the formal education system, at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. This work built on the existing national curriculum, which now includes climate change at several levels, and provided of classroom materials and teacher training.

We also facilitated the development of a National Action Plan on Climate Change Education. This action plan identifies short and medium-term initiatives and policies to strengthen the human resource base and to make sure climate change is integrated into the national curriculum.

A Climate Change Education Strategy for Ethiopia through 2030

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Education of Ethiopia launched the Climate Change Education Strategy of Ethiopia 2017-2030.

This strategy is aligned with the national policy on climate change, including the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II) and with priorities for national education and the CRGE. It is also in line with the international frameworks that Ethiopia has signed up to, such as the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030.

Its main goal is to integrate climate change education into the education system and to involve schools in the implementation of the CRGE. Its aim is that every school in Ethiopia becomes a champion for building a climate-resilient and green economy by 2030 by:

  • Incorporating climate change into the school system, promoting behaviour change among students, teachers and the local community, forming informed and engaged citizens
  • Supporting school systems to serve as living laboratories engaged in the implementation of the CRGE
  • Becoming one of the sources of knowledge and technical assistance for building green and resilient communities.

The strategy has two main priority actions:

  • Raising awareness of climate change education, and
  • Facilitating the integration of climate change education in the curriculum at all levels of formal education.

The strategy also includes a monitoring and evaluation system, in collaboration with national, regional and local stakeholders.

The strategy is available in English and can be downloaded below:

Further to the launch of the strategy in September 2017, we have been supporting its implementation.

Turning the Strategy into Actions

Promoting Climate Change Education

Through a nation-wide consultation, including two major workshop, the document Integrating Climate Change into the Ethiopian Curriculum – An Annotated Guideline for Curriculum Developers was finalized and submitted to the Ministry of Education in December 2019. The guideline is being used in the syllabus development process of climate change carrier subjects.

With support from SIDA, UN CC:Learn is supporting the Ethiopian Ministry of Education with the revision of the carrier subjects syllabi. As a follow-up, it will contribute to building the capacities of textbook authors on how to write climate change content for the different carrier subjects (about 9-10 subjects ranging between Geography, Science, Mathematics and Languages).

Reaching out to Youth in a Refugee Camp

A Youth Climate Dialogue was held in April 2017, with students from the Lycée International de Ferney-Voltaire, France and students from the environmental club and refugee camp primary and secondary schools in the Shedder refugee camp, situated near the border with Somaliland. The event was organized in collaboration with UNHCR and UNESCO.

Raising Awareness

The Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and national research institutes has been raising awareness of climate change, forest management and environmental education.

Our National Partners 

Our work in Ethiopia is implemented under the leadership of the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority and the Ministry of Education.

Project News and Activities

School Curriculum Revamp in Ethiopia: Climate Change in the Spotlight
12 May 2020 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

A Lucky Plan for Climate Change Education in Ethiopia?
01 March 2018 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Delivering a Workshop on Climate Information and Services in Ethiopia
10 November 2017 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Ethiopia Launches the Implementation of its National Climate Change Education Strategy and Priority Actions
12 September 2017 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Youth Climate Dialogues Leaving No One Behind!
19 April 2017 | Geneva, Switzerland / Jijiga, Ethiopia

Education for Climate Change in Ethiopia: The Government leads a discussion on priorities for the Climate Resilient and Green Economy Strategy (CRGE)
16 December 2016 | Bishoftu, Ethiopia